The Optical Society - Application of Lasers for Sensing & Free Space Communication (LS&C) -Topical Meetings and Exhibit

Application of Lasers for Sensing & Free Space Communication (LS&C)

Meetings

Application of Lasers for Sensing & Free Space Communication (LS&C)

27 October - 01 November 2013

Essential Links

Hotel and Travel

Hotel Reservation Deadline: 26 September 2013 00:00 EST (04:00 GMT)

Marriott Rive Gauche
Marriott Paris Rive Gauche Hotel and Conference Center

The Marriott Paris Rive Gauche Hotel and Conference Center
17 Boulevard Saint Jacques
Paris, 75014 France
Hotel Phone: +33.1.4078.7980

Located on the left bank of the river Seine, the Paris Rive Gauche Hotel and Conference Center enjoys a unique location next to the Latin Quarter and Saint-Germain-des-Pres, the capital’s historic cradle of intellectual life. It is near important business sites such as the Montparnasse commercial district and the convention center of Paris-Nord.

The accommodating conference hotel in Paris offers flexible, modular event space to host up to 1,200 delegates comfortably. Guests will find their prime location provides direct access to Paris airports, events and attractions for their convenience.

Utilize their secure broadband Internet, 24-hour concierge and complimentary fitness center to stay connected and fit.

Guest Services include:
Fitness and Recreation
Dining
Full Service Business Center
Concierge Desk

Parking
Onsite parking is available at the hotel for EUR €25.00 per day. Early reservations are recommended and subject to availability.

Lobby, Marriott Paris Rive Gauche Hotel and Conference Center

Room Rates

Single Occupancy Deluxe Room (Breakfast and taxes included)	EUR €209.00 per night
Double Occupancy Deluxe Room (Breakfast and taxes included)	EUR €219.00 per night
Internet Connection in Sleeping Rooms	EUR €7.00 per night

All reservations will be honored 3 days pre and post meeting dates andmust be guaranteed with a major credit card. A deposit equal to one night’s room and tax is required for each room before the reservation can be processed. Deposits are fully refundable only if reservations are cancelled with Hotel 2 days before arrival date. In the event of a no show, the hotel will keep the one night’s room deposit, and the room reservation will be cancelled. Breakfast is free for children under 12 years and a cot is provided at no charge for children under 2 years.

Book your Hotel Reservation:

Click for online reservations. To book a double room, select “2” under the guest tab.
Calling within the US or Canada, call +1 800.228.9290
International Toll-Free Reservations Numbers available.

Hotel Reservation Deadline: 6 October 2013
Check-in time is 15:00 and Check-out time is 12:00.

Important information regarding Topical Meeting Visa Invitation Letters (please read):

Meeting attendees do not need to wait until your paper is accepted to request a Visa Invitation Letter. The visa application process to enter France requires that you have adequate un-used pages in your passport, allowing for any necessary stamps upon arrival and departure. They recommend that you have at least two free pages in Visas section of your passport before any international travel. U.S. citizens can get extra passport pages added to their passports as fast as within 24 hours. OSA is not able to contact any embassies in support of an individual attempting to gain entry into the host country to attend the conference.

All foreign nationals entering and staying on French territory must be in possession of a valid entry and stay visa, unless you are exempt from this requirement. The information below applies to foreign nationals who hold an ordinary passport.

Getting a visa

For detailed information about applying for a visa refer to the France Diplomatie website and the VisaHQ website.
Invitation letters take OSA Management 7-10 business days to process. Please fill out all the required information on the form completely to the best of your ability. If you are presenting a paper, include the title and session in which the paper will be presented, or if you are exhibiting, please indicate so in your request. Please note that each individual requesting an invitation letter must fill out a separate form. All letters will be sent in PDF form to the email address provided. If a paper letter is required, please respond to the email. Requested paper letters will be sent complimentary through airmail. This option may take a few weeks to arrive. If you wish to expedite the process, letter will be spent through Federal Express with the recipient’s Federal Express account number or credit card number with an expiration date, please also include your billing address in the request email. OSA Management reserves the right to request further information regarding the company or affiliation of the attendee to ensure the validity of requests.

Application of Lasers for Sensing & Free Space Communication Letter of Invitation Request Form

Individuals requiring letters of invitation to obtain travel visas must apply using the online form.

If you have any questions about the visa invitation letter application process, please contact:

Email: invitations@osa.org
Fax: +1 202.416.6100
Mail: OSA Management – Invitation Letter
Optical Society of America
2010 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20036

Visa Waiver Program Frequently Asked Questions

Letters of Invitation:

All letters of invitation will be sent by airmail or by fax unless a Federal Express account number or credit card number with expiration date is provided on the original request. Please allow ample time for processing requests. OSA is not able to contact any Embassies in support of an individual attempting to gain entry into the host country to attend an OSA meeting.

When requesting letters for more than one individual, please include all information stated above for each person.
Individuals requiring letters of invitation to obtain travel visas may contact OSA directly by one of the following methods:

Email: invitations@osa.org
Fax: +1 202.416.6100
Mail: The Optical Society, Meetings Dept.
2010 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20036
USA

View maps to the hotel via various transportation methods and a time chart showing distances to and from the hotel.

Area Airport
The two closest airports to The Marriott Paris Rive Gauche Hotel and Conference Center are Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG) (28 miles north of hotel) and Paris/Orly (ORY) (8.7 miles southwest of hotel).

Driving Directions

Charles de Gaulle International Airport - CDG

Airport Phone: +33.1.3950

To get from Paris CDG International Airport, France, to downtown Paris at the Paris Marriott Rive Gauche Hotel and Conference Center near Montparnasse Train Station by car, follow the "Paris Est" signs to the "Porte d'Orleans". Take the road called "Avenue du Général Leclerc" to the "Denfert Rochereau" square. Take a right turn onto the "Boulevard Saint Jacques". The Paris Marriott Rive Gauche Hotel and Conference Center hotel near Montparnasse is situated on number 17. This downtown hotel in Paris, France, features underground car parking.

This hotel does not provide shuttle service.

Alternate transportation: Limousine service; fee: EUR €132 (one way); reservation required; contact hotel concierge to reserve
Bus service, fee: EUR €16 (one way)
Subway service, fee: EUR €9 (one way)
Estimated taxi fare: EUR €50 (one way)

Paris/Orly - ORY

Airport Phone: +33.1.3950

To get from Paris France Orly International Airport to the Paris Marriott Rive Gauche Hotel and Conference Center in downtown Paris, France near Montparnasse Train Station, follow the "Paris Sud" signs to the "Porte d'Orleans". Take the "Avenue du General Leclerc" to the "Denfert Rochereau" square. Turn right onto the "Boulevard St Jacques". The Paris Marriott Rive Gauche Hotel & Conference Center is situated at number 17. This downtown Marriott hotel near Montparnasse in Paris, France, features an underground garage for hotel car parking and valet service.

This hotel does not provide shuttle service.

Alternate transportation: Limousine service; fee: EUR €132 (one way); reservation required; contact hotel concierge to reserve
Bus service, fee: EUR €7 (one way)
Subway service, fee: EUR €10 (one way)
Estimated taxi fare: EUR €30 (one way)

Airline Discounts

The Optical Society has arranged discounted air travel with American Airlines. You may visit the American Airlines website at www.aa.com to search for available flights to Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Airport and use the authorization code 73H3BI to receive your discount. You may also call the American Airlines Meeting Services Desk directly at +1.800.433.1790 for assistance with reservations and ticket purchases.

Discounted flights are also available from Delta Airlines to Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Paris-Orly (ORY) Airports. Visit www.delta.com, select Book a Trip, and click on Meeting Event Code near the bottom of the window that pops up. On the next window, enter the Meeting Event Code NMEFR to receive your discount

Ground Transport
Several public transportation options are available to you from both Charles de Gaulle Airport and Paris-Orly Airport, including rail and bus and coach options.

Taxi
Taxis are prevalent at both Charles de Gaulle Airport (estimated EUR €50) and Paris-Orly Airport (estimated EUR €30).

Car Rental
Several car rental options are available at both Charles de Gaulle Airport and Paris-Orly Airport.

Car Rental Discount
Avis Rent-a-Car is pleased to offer low rates with unlimited mileage to participants attending ASSL. For reservations call +1.800.331.1600 and refer to Avis Worldwide Discount # D004076. Reservations may also be made on the Avis website or by phone (World Wide Telephone Numbers).

Shuttle
SuperShuttle is the nation's leading shared-ride airport shuttle, providing door-to-door ground transportation and provides service to and from 28 major airports in 23 cities. SuperShuttle is pleased to offer a 10% roundtrip discount to participants attending ASSL. Please refer to the Discount #CQAFL. Discounted reservations may be made on the Super Shuttle website or by phone, +1.800.258.3826.

Train
Paris is easily accessible by train from the Gare Montparnesse Station (1.2 miles northwest of hotel) and via Eurostar to Gare du Nord (4 miles north of hotel).

Paris – click for more information on Paris.
Paris is the capital and largest city of France. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region. The city of Paris, within its administrative limits (the 20 arrondissements), has a population of about 2,200,000. Its metropolitan area is one of the largest population centers in Europe, with more than 12 million inhabitants.

An important settlement for more than two millennia, Paris had become, by the 12th century, one of Europe's foremost centers of learning and the arts and the largest city in the Western world until the 18th century. Paris is today one of the world's leading business and cultural centers and its influences in politics, education, entertainment, media, science, and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world's major global cities.

Paris and the Paris Region, with €572.4 billion in 2010, produce more than a quarter of the gross domestic product of France and has one of the largest city GDPs in the world. Considered to be green and highly liveable, the city and its region is one of the world's leading tourism destinations. They house four UNESCO World Heritage Sites and many international organizations.


Eiffel Tower, Credit: Jacques Lebar	Pyramide du Louvre, Credit: Marc Verhille; Architect: I. M. Pei

Paris is a cultural gem, featuring such world-renowned sights as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, l’Arc de Triomphe, the Cathedrale de Notre Dame de Paris and more. There are several websites featuring suggestions of things to see, including Time, Time Out Paris, Lonely Planet, and National Geographic.

Paris Rooftops, Notre Dame, Photographer: David Lefranc

Electricity: 220-240 voltage electricity is used in France, as compared to the 110-120 voltage electricity that is standard in the U.S. and Canada. Voltage converters and plug adaptors are highly recommended.

Currency: The Euro (EUR, €) is the currency of the France. Credit cards are widely accepted; VISA and MASTERCARD are the most popular. Traveler’s checks are accepted at currency exchanges or banks, but are not as widely accepted. ATM machines, or DAB’s as they are known in France, are very common. View the latest currency exchange.

Weather: The weather in Paris in late October and early November ranges from the low to mid 40’s°F (4.44°C) to the mid to high 50’s°F (10°C). Check the current weather in Paris.

Arc de Triomphe, Photographer: Amélie Dupont